, born Masaru Okumura (奥村勝),Leous, G. (''c.'' 2003)
Tomisaburo Wakayama
Retrieved on May 23, 2010. was a Japanese actor best known for playing Ogami Ittō, the scowling '' ronin'' warrior in the six ''

Lone Wolf and Cub is a Japanese manga series created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. It was serialized in Futabasha's manga magazine '' Weekly Manga Action'' from September 1970 to April 1976, with its chapters collected in 28 ' volumes. ...

samurai film , also commonly spelled "''chambara''", meaning "sword fighting" films,Hill (2002). denotes the Japanese film genre called samurai cinema in English and is roughly equivalent to Western and swashbuckler films. ''Chanbara'' is a sub-category of ...

s.Stout, J. (1981): "Tomisaburo Wakayama: The Anti-Hero of Shogun Assassin." ''Martial Arts Movies'' (August), 1(2):26–33.

Biography

Wakayama (his stage name)''Lame d'un père, l'âme d'un sabre'' (2005). Wild Side Films. Event occurs at 34. was born on September 1, 1929, in

Fukagawa In Japan, Fukagawa (深川) may refer to: * Fukagawa, Hokkaidō, a city ** Fukagawa Station, a railway station * Fukagawa, Tokyo is a district in Kōtō, Tokyo. It is traditionally part of the area of Tokyo. Formerly, it was a ward of the his ...

, a district in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. His father was Minoru Okumura (奥村実), a noted ''

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

'' performer and ''

nagauta is a kind of traditional Japanese music played on the and used in kabuki theater, primarily to accompany dance and to provide reflective interludes. History It is uncertain when the was first integrated into kabuki, but it was sometime dur ...

'' singer who went by the stage name Katsutōji Kineya ( 杵屋勝東治),Asiateca: Tomisaburo Wakayama
(August 10, 2007). Retrieved on May 24, 2010. and the family as a whole were ''kabuki'' performers. He and his younger brother,

Shintaro Katsu was a Japanese actor, singer, and filmmaker. He is known for starring in the ''Akumyo'' series, the ''Hoodlum Soldier'' series, and the ''Zatoichi'' series. Life and career Born Toshio Okumura (奥村利夫 ''Okumura Toshio'') on 29 Novemb ...

, followed their father in the theater. Wakayama tired of this; at the age of 13, he began to study

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

, eventually achieving the rank of 4th ''

dan Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa ** Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivo ...

'' black belt in the art. In 1952, as part of the Azuma Kabuki troupe, Wakayama toured the United States of America for nine months. He gave up theater performance completely after his two-year term with the troupe was over. Wakayama taught judo until

Toho is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...

recruited him as a new

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

star in their ''

jidaigeki is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "historical drama, period dramas", it refers to stories that take place before the Meiji Restoration of 1868. ''Jidaigeki'' show the lives of the samurai, farmers, crafts ...

'' movies, originally using the stage name "Jō Kenzaburō". He prepared for these movies by practicing other disciplines, including

kenpō is the name of several martial arts. This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization, but failing to use a macron to indicate the long vowel In linguistics, vowel length is ...

iaidō , abbreviated , is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.Christensen, Karen and Allen Guttmann et.al (2001) ''International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports ...

kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords ( shinai) as well as protective armor ( bōgu). It began as samurai warriors' customary swordsmanship ex ...

, and

bōjutsu () is the martial art of stick fighting using a bō, which is the Japanese word for staff. Staffs have been in use for thousands of years in Asian martial arts like Silambam. Some techniques involve slashing, swinging, and stabbing with the ...

. All this helped him for roles (now using the stage name "Wakayama Tomisaburō") in the television series '' The Mute Samurai'', the 1975 television series ''Shokin Kasegi'' (''The Bounty Hunter''), and his most famous film role: Ogami Ittō, the Lone Wolf. Wakayama went on to star in many films, performing in a variety of roles. It has been estimated that he appeared in between 250 and 500 films. His only roles in American movies were as a baseball coach in ''

The Bad News Bears Go to Japan ''The Bad News Bears Go to Japan'' (also known as ''The Bad News Bears 3'') is a 1978 American sport comedy film released by Paramount Pictures and was the third and last of a series, following ''The Bad News Bears'' and '' The Bad News Bears in ...

'' (1978) and as a ''

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them , while the yakuza call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yak ...

'' boss, Sugai, in

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is an English film director and producer. He directs films in the Science fiction film, science fiction, Crime film, crime, and historical drama, historical epic genres, with an atmospheric and highly co ...

's ''

Black Rain Black rain is liquid precipitation polluted with dark particulates, especially soot and ashes (including coal ash) resulting from wildfires, coal combustion, or nuclear explosions (a liquid type of nuclear fallout Nuclear fallout is res ...

'' (1989) that delivers a memorable English monologue that becomes a defining moment for the film, and the film's title. Wakayama died of acute heart failure on April 2, 1992, in a hospital in

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

. He was survived by a son, Kiichirō Wakayama ( 若山騎一郎) born in 1964, also an actor.Sankei Sports: 若山騎一郎&仁美凌、熱愛発覚！交際5年
(March 31, 2010). Retrieved on May 24, 2010.

Filmography

Film

Wakayama appeared in the following films, amongst others.

1955–1959

* ''Banba no Chûtarô'' (1955) - Banba no Chutaro * ''Uta matsuri mangetsu tanuki-gassen'' (1955) * ''Gyakushu orochimaru'' (1955) - Toyama Yunosuke * ''Silver Snake Iwashiya'' (1956) * ''Yotsuya kaidan'' (1956) - Iemon Tamiya * ''Ningyô Sashichi torimonochô: Yôen roku shibijin'' (1956) - Ningyo Sashichi * ''Yôun Satomi kaikyoden'' (1956) - Inuzuka Shino * ''Ningyô Sashichi torimonochô: Ôedo Ushimitsudoki'' (1957) - Ningyo Sashichi * ''Ningyô Sashichi torimonochô: Hanayome Satsujinma'' (1957) - Ningyo Sashichi * ''Kanhasshû ken kajin'' (1958) * ''Ningyô Sashichi torimonochô: Ukiyoburo no Shibijin'' (1958) - Ningyo Sashichi * ''Ningyô Sashichi torimonochô: Koshimoto Irezumi Shibijin'' (1958) - Ningyo Sashichi * ''Doto no taiketsu'' (1959) * ''Fukaku hichô'' (1959) * ''Fukaku hichô: kanketsuhen'' (1959) * ''Chiyari musô'' (1959) * ''Hibari torimonochô: furisode koban'' (1959) * ''Yukinojô henge'' (1959) * ''Hayate monzaburo'' (1959) * ''Rage'' (1959)

1960-1969

* ''Hibari no mori no ishimatsu'' (1960) - Shimizu No Jirocho - Boss Of The Tokaido * ''Tenpô rokkasen - Jigoku no hanamichi'' (1960) * ''Jirochô kesshôki: Nagurikomi kôjinyama'' (1960) - Okita Soji * ''Tenryu haha koi gasa'' (1960) * ''Shoretsu shinsengumi - bakumatsu no doran'' (1960) - Okita Soji * ''Oja kissa'' (1960) * ''Ninkyo Nakasendo'' (1960) - Omasa * ''Hibari Juhachiban Benten Kozo'' (1960) * ''Hachisu chikemuri gasa'' (1961) * ''Yami ni warau tekkamen'' (1961) * ''Tekka Daimyo'' ("Lord of Steel Heart") (1961) * ''Ghost of Oiwa'' (1961) * ''Megitsune henge'' (1961) * ''Kengo tengu matsuri'' (1961) - Iishiro Shurinosuke * ''Kaidan Oiwa no borei'' (1961) - Tamiya Iemon * ''Charinko kaido'' (1961) * ''Kisaragi musô ken'' (1962) - Hayatomasa Tachibana * ''Seizoroi kanhasshu'' (1962) * '' Zatoichi 2'' (1962)- Nagisa no Yoshirō (credited as Jō Kenzaburō) * ''Ninja 1'' (1962) - Oda Nobunaga * ''Love for a Mother'' (1962) * ''Shinsengumi shimatsuki'' (1963) - Isami Kondô (credited as Jō Kenzaburō) * ''Teuchi'' (1963) - Shindo Genjiro * ''Kaidan onibi no numa'' (1963) - Saburôta Nishina * ''Ninja 2'' (1963) - Oda Nobunaga * ''Ninja 3'' (1963) - Oda Nobunaga * ''Maiko to ansatsusha'' (1963) * ''Yôsô'' (1963) - Prime Minister * '' Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade'' (1963) - Chen Sun (credited as Jō Kenzaburō) * ''Hana no kodokan'' (1963) * ''Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold'' (1964) - Jushiro * ''Shinobi no mono: Zoku Kirigakure Saizô'' (1964) - Sanada Yukimura * ''Meiji taitei goichidaiki'' (1964) - Soldier charging Chinese fortress * ''Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Seduction'' (1964) - Chen Sun (credited as Jō Kenzaburō) * ''Ninja 4'' (1964) - Sanada Yukimura * ''Gaijin bôchi no ketto'' (1964) * ''

Kojiki taishō is ''jidaigeki'' novel written by Jirō Osaragi in 1945. The novel deals with the warlord Gotō Matabei's life during the Warring States period. The novel was adapted into film in 1952 and 1964. Plot Gotō Matabei is the most able and fierce s ...

'' (1964) * ''Virgin Witnessed'' (1966) - Gyôshun * ''A Brave Generous Era'' (1966) * ''Ôtazune mono shichinin'' (1966) * ''Fraternal Honor: Three Brothers of Kanto'' (1966) - Akoshima Isamu * ''Bakuchiuchi'' ("The Gambler) (1967) * ''Zoku Toseinin'' (1967) - Sakamoto * ''Toseinin'' (1967) - Hirose * ''Hokkai yûkyôden'' (1967) * ''Choueki juhachi-nen: kari shutsugoku'' (1967) * ''Choueki juhachi-nen'' (1967) * ''Bakuchi uchi'' (1967) - Ozeki Isamu * ''Zenka mono'' (1968) * ''Kaettekita gokudo'' (1968) - Shimamura Seikichi * ''Ikasama bakuchi'' (1968) * ''Hibotan bakuto'' ("Red Peony Gambler") (1968)Hong Kong Cinema: Red Peony Gambler
(''c.'' 2006). Retrieved on May 24, 2010. - Torakichi Kumasaka * ''Jinsei-gekijô: Hishakaku to kiratsune'' (1968) * ''Hibotan bakuto: Isshuku ippan'' (1968) - Torakichi Kumazaka * ''Bakuto retsuden'' (1968) - Adachi Sanji * ''Yôen dokufu-den hannya no ohyaku'' (1968) - Boss Minokichi of Otowa * ''Otoko no shobu: byakko no tetsu'' (1968) * ''Kyôdai jingi gyakuen no sakazuki'' (1968) * ''Heitai gokudo'' (1968) * ''Ballad of Murder'' (1968) * ''Gokudo'' (1968) - Shimamura Seikichi * ''Wicked Priest'' (1968) - Mikuni Shinkai * ''Daigashi'' (1968) * ''Bakuchi-uchi: Socho tobaku'' (1968) - Tetsuo Matsuda * ''Nunnery Confidential'' (1968) * ''Hibotan bakuto: Hanafuda shôbu'' (1969) - Torakichi Kumasaka * ''Tabi ni deta gokudo'' (1969) - Shimamura Seikichi * ''Quick-draw Okatsu'' (1969) - Bounty hunter * ''Shokin kasegi'' (1969) - Shikoru Ichibei * ''Hissatsu bakuchi-uchi'' (1969) * ''Red Peony: The Hanafuda Game'' (1969) * ''Memoir of Japanese Assassins'' (1969) * ''Gonin no Shôkin Kasegi'' (1969) - Shikoro Ichibei * ''Tosei-nin Retsuden'' (1969) - Kaku * ''Boss'' (1969) - Sakata Yoshinobu * ''Nihon boryoku-dan: Kumicho'' (1969) - Miyahara * ''Matteita gokudo'' (1969) - Shimamura Seikichi * ''Gorotsuki butai'' (1969) * ''Gokudô bôzu: Nenbutsu hitokiri tabi'' (1969) * ''Gendai yakuza: Yotamono no okite'' (1969) * ''Chôeki san kyôdai'' (1969)

1970–1979

* ''Hibotan bakuto: Oryû sanjô'' (1970) - Torakichi Kumasaka * ''Bakuchi-uchi: Nagaremono'' (1970) - Yoshii Yusaku * ''Nippon dabi katsukyu'' (1970) * ''Saigo no tokkôtai'' (1970) * ''Gokuaku bozu hitokiri kazoe uta'' (1970) - Shinkai * ''Blind Yakuza Monk'' (1970) - Dr. Mitamura * ''Thugs of Shinjuku'' (1970) - Senior yakuza at funeral (uncredited) * ''Shiruku hatto no ô-oyabun: Chobi-hige no kuma'' (1970) * ''Shiruku hatto no ô-oyabun'' (1970) * ''Shin Abashiri Bangaichi: Fubuki no Hagure Okami'' (1970) * ''Sengo hiwa, hoseki ryakudatsu'' (1970) * ''Nihon boryoku-dan: Kumicho kuzure'' (1970) * ''Hakurai jingi: Kapone no shatei'' (1970) * ''Gokudo kyojo tabi'' (1970) - Shimamura Seikichi * ''Gokudo Kamagasaki ni kaeru'' (1970) - Shimamura Seikichi * ''Gokuaku bozu nenbutsu sandangiri'' (1970) - Shinkai * ''Underground Syndicate'' (1970) * '' Sympathy for the Underdog'' (1971) - Yonabaru - Koza downtown boss * ''A Boss with the Samurai Spirit'' (1971) - Capone * ''Bakuchi-uchi: Inochi-huda'' (1971) - Kobayashi Kanji * ''Gokuaku bozu - Nomu utsu kau'' (1971) * ''Nihon yakuza-den: Sôchiyô e no michi'' (1971) - Torakichi Ohmatsu * ''Hibotan bakuto: Oinochi itadaki masu'' (1971) - Torakichi Kumasaka * ''Kaoyaku'' (1971) - Hoshino * ''Nippon akuninden'' (1971) - Kumai * ''Nihon aku nin den'' (1971) * ''Kizudarake no seishun'' (1971) - Mihashi Tetsuo * ''Boryokudan sai buso'' (1971) * ''Bakuto kirikomi-tai'' (1971) - Yano * ''Akû oyabûn tai daigashî'' (1971) * ''Hibotan bakuto: Jingi tooshimasu'' (1972) * '' Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance'' (1972) - Ogami Ittō * ''Kizu darake jinsei furui do de gonzansu'' (1972) * ''Cherry Blossom Fire Gang'' (1972) - Master Kofusai Donju * '' Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx'' (1972) - Ogami Ittō * ''Gokudo makari touru'' (1972) - Shimamura Seikichi * '' Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades'' (1972) - Ogami Ittō * ''Kînagashî hyâkunîn'' (1972) * ''Shôkin kubi: Isshun Hachi-nin Giri'' (1972) - Shikoro Ichibei * '' Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril'' (1972) - Ogami Ittō * ''Nihon Aku Nin Den: Jigoku No Michizure'' (1972) * ''Bakuchi-uchi Gaiden'' (1972) * ''Sakura no Daimon'' (1973) * '' Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons'' (1973) - Ogami Itto * ''Kamagasaki gokudo'' (1973) - Shimamura Seikichi, movie star * '' Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell'' (1974) - Ogami Itto * ''Gokudo VS Mamushi'' (1974) * ''Datsugoku Hiroshima satsujinshû'' (1974) - Okamoto Seijiro * '' New Battles Without Honor and Humanity'' (1974) - Aoki Naotake * ''

ESPY The ESPY Awards (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, and often referred to as the ESPYs) is an annual American awards show produced by ESPN since 1993, recognizing individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-r ...

'' (1974) - Ulrov * ''Gokudo VS furyô banchô'' (1974) - Shimamura Seikichi * ''Gotô hoka sâtsujin shû'' (1975) * ''Bôryoku kinmyaku'' (1975) * ''Yukâi na gokudo'' (1976) * ''Akuma no temari-uta'' (1977) - Inspector Isokawa * ''Devil's Bouncing Ball Song'' (1977) - Tatsuo Honda * ''Sugata Sanshiro'' (1977) - Murai * ''Torakku yarô: Otoko ippiki momojirô'' (1977) * ''

'' (1978) - Coach Shimizu * ''

Hi no Tori is an unfinished manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. Tezuka considered ''Phoenix'' his "life's work"; it consists of 12 parts, each of which tells a separate, self-contained story and takes place in a different era. ...

'' ("The Phoenix") (1978) - Sarutahaiko, General of the Yamatai * ''Oh My Son'' (1979) - Shuzo Kawase * ''Distant Tomorrow'' (1979) - Iwasa

1980–1989

* ''Chichi yo haha yo!'' (1980) - Asakawa Senjo * ''

Shogun Assassin ''Shogun Assassin'' is a 1980 film directed by Robert Houston. It was edited and compiled from the first two films in the ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' series, using 12 minutes of the first film, '' Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance'' (''Kozure � ...

'' (1980) - Lone Wolf * '' Seishun no mon'' ("The Gate of Youth") (1981) - Ryugoro Hanawa * ''Flames of Blood'' (1981) - Seihachi * ''

Makai Tenshō is a historical fantasy novel by Futaro Yamada. It was serialized in Osaka Shimbun newspaper between December 1964 and February 1965 under the title ''Oboro Ninpōchō''. It is a tale in which Mori Sōiken resurrects other dead historical figur ...

'' ("Samurai Reincarnation") (1981) - Lord Tajima no Kami Munenori Yagyu * ''Moeru yusha'' (1981) - Goro Kaji * ''The Shootout'' (1982) - Yabuki * ''Conquest'' (1982) - Tsuyoshi Gonno * ''Irezumi: Spirit of Tattoo'' (1982) - Kyogoro / the Tatto Artist * ''Shōsetsu Yoshida gakkō'' (1983) -

Bukichi Miki was a Japanese politician. He was a close friend and ally of Ichiro Hatoyama, and was the key figure in carrying out the "conservative merger" that resulted in the formation of the Liberal Democratic Party. Despite being a powerful conservativ ...

* ''Hakujasho'' (1983) - Ekai Kanamishima * '' Jinsei gekijo'' ("Theater of Life") (1984) * ''Shura no mure'' (1984) * ''Story of the Yamashita Boy'' (1985) - Yamashita Taizo, Cho's father * '' A Promise'' (1986) - Detective Tagami * ''

Michi Michi may refer to: People Given name * Michi (Japanese singer) (born 1996), Japanese J-pop singer * MiChi (born 1985), British singer * Michi Atkins, former WNBA basketball player * Michi Beck (born 1967), DJ and MC of the German hip hop grou ...

'' (1986) - Naokichi Sakura * '' Shinran: Shiroi michi'' ("Shinran: Path to Purity") (1987) - Homen * ''Daireikai: Shindara dou naru'' (1989) * '' Shaso'' (1989) - Kazuo Otagaki * ''

'' (1989) - Sugai Kunio * ''Tanba Tetsuro no daireikai shindara dounaru'' (1989) - God

1990

* ''Jotei: Kasuga no tsubone'' (1990) * ''Checkmate'' (1991) - Sanae Mitamura

Television

*''

Oshizamurai Kiichihōgan also known as The Mute Samurai is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama, that was broadcast in 1973–1974. The lead star is Tomisaburo Wakayama, his younger brother Shintaro Katsu also appeared and directed episode 1. It is based o ...

'' (1973-1974) - Kiichihōgan *''Akuma no Yoūna Aitsu'' (1975) - Detective Shirato *''Shokin Kasegi'' (1975) - Shikoro Ichibei *''

Tsūkai! Kōchiyama Sōshun is a Japanese television jidaigeki or period drama that was broadcast in 1975–1976. The lead star is Shintaro Katsu, his older brother Tomisaburo Wakayama also appeared in the episodes 5, 7 and 25. Plot Kōchiyama Sōshun is a serves as a cha-b ...

'' (1975–76) - Tōyama Kinsirō *''

Fumō Chitai is a novel by Toyoko Yamasaki. It was serialized in the weekly magazine ''Sunday Manichi'' from 1973 to 1978. The novel was partially adapted into a film starring Tatsuya Nakadai and directed by Satsuo Yamamoto in 1976. It was later adapted i ...

'' (1979) - Ichizo Daimon *''

Ōoku The was historically the harem, women's quarters of Edo Castle, the section where the women connected to the reigning resided. Similar areas in the castles of powerful , such as the Satsuma Domain, were also referred to by this term. During ...

'' (1983) -

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

*''Kozure Ōkami Meifumadō no Shikyakunin Hahakoishi Daigoro Zetsushou'' (1989) - Yagyū Retsudō

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wakayama, Tomisaburo 1929 births 1992 deaths Japanese male film actors Japanese male judoka Male actors from Tokyo Okumura family People from Kōtō 20th-century Japanese male actors 20th-century Japanese sportsmen